


Stories of the Second Self: Fork on the Left

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [174]
Category: Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:02:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23414983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: In a turn from class-conscious Fae society, Loren takes the vampire, Dale Groneck out to a restaurant. There, Loren watches Dale turn a fork into a ring for her and she confesses why she asked the sole vampire at a werewolf block party for a date.
Series: Alter Idem [174]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Fork on the Left

Loren looked up from the appetizer to see Dale Groneck bending his appetizer fork handle and asked, "What are you doing?"

"They call it art," Dale answered.

Going to a four-star restaurant was Loren's idea because, honestly, Dale wouldn't have done any restaurants at all. Dale was the sharp break Loren needed from the men of her means, so when she saw him at the werewolf weekend event she was intrigued and asked him out. That's because Dale was a vampire not a werewolf.

Neither was Loren, but a howler block party seemed like the sharp break she needed from her Silverton circle who had set her up with that trainwreck of a boyfriend, Brett.

By asking out Dale, Loren went to the two extreme opposites of her fellow Fae; the first was a community get-together by werewolves, and the second was taking interest in the only vampire there. Loron's eight-point antlers bought her enough of a buffer against being ostracized, though it didn't stop the whispers. Of the latter she kinda preferred the whispers.

"You know, the waitstaff's going to be annoyed that you twisted their fork," Loren advised Dale.

"Looking at this place," Dale said, casting his solid black-eyed gaze around the walls and ceiling, "They'll temper that with their artsy fartsy admiration of the result."

Indeed, a waiter stopped by appearing to ask Loren and Dale something, but noticed Dale starting on the tines and walked away without comment.

Using another fork, Dale easily bent the tines into smooth curls, the right side getting the most turns and the left, the least. Were it any other man Loren would've thought it was showing off strength, but Dale never looked like he tried to impress anyone with physique.

"Aaand, there 'ya go," Dale concluded offering it out to her.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Loron asked, having accepted the gift with a smirk.

"Well, 'ya wear it on your finger," Dale answered, and then looked at Loren's hands with uncertainty. "Ahh, right side ring finger, so that the fork head side atop your middle finger."

Being offered a ring on the first date would've been creeper territory were Dale able to more easily hide his social awkwardness. But he made the gesture so mundane that it brought a laugh from Loren, and she put it on as suggested. Dale might not be able to gauge a person's mood well, but his guess of her ring size was spot on.

"It fits," Loren praised, turning her right hand over, and then looking across to Dale. "So, why a ring from a fork? Any suggestive message there?"

"What?" Dale appeared honestly surprised. "Ohh-- shit, I didn't mean to make it seem like you were a meal or something...."

"It's okay," Loren assured with a laugh, "I'm impressed that it fits. Last guy I was with tried to push on a ring he bought that was three sizes too small. I suppose he was used to petite women. He's a Luc Fae, four-pointer."

"Not sure what that says about him," Dale replied, but with a bland enough expression it wasn't a judgment on her for judging another Fae based on their ranking in the caste system.

"Sorry, so why a fork?"

"Well," Dale began with a shrug, "What else am I going to do with it? I'll leave extra on the tip to cover it."

"I told you," Loren refused, "I'm buying. I'm the only one eating anyway."

"Yeah, but it's not a gift then," Dale replied waving at the fork ring that Loren wasn't taking off. "Besides, I can totally see them charging, like, a hundred dollars or something."

"We'll see," Loren smirked, and kept observing Dale.

"Hmm?" Dale voiced, again seeming to have no idea what he was missing.

"You," Loren said with a near sparkle in her purplish-blue eyes. "I like you because you're unassuming. You just... do you."

"That's a good thing, right?" Dale dipped his head a bit while asking.

"It's a very good thing," Loren stated clearly, realizing and admiring that she could just say the quiet part out loud, "There's no facade with you."

"I think that's why the howlers like me," Dale admitted.

"The way you say howler," Loren started to praise.

"Shapeshifting American, or-- ahh, I guess werewolf," Dale hastened to correct himself.

"No, what I was going to say is that you're the first person I've heard use that without any hint of negativity," Loren explained, putting her hands together and laying her cheek on the back of her left hand. "Is that why you live in Norwood?"

"No, that's where I found the first house going for five hundred dollars," Dale answered, "I guess I'm one of the few people who doesn't have to worry about street packs."

In Loren's peripheral view Loren noticed people at another table behind Dale looking at him and whispering. "That's that guy with the dead angel in his living room."

"And then there's that." Dale also heard it. "Right there in middle of the room. Cops are sure it wasn't me, '"

"I know it wasn't you," Loren was quick to say, "But I'd rather not focus on that."

"Alright, so what made you go to the werewolf party?" Dale asked.

"Needed a break from judgment," Loren confessed, "And, don't take this the wrong way, but it as vampire among werewolves you seemed the least judgmental man possible."

"Thank you." Dale smiled at that, paused to think about it, and resumed the expression that suggested he recognized the compliment.

"Are we ready for the main course?" their waiter suddenly appeared.

Dale handed over the menu, having never looked at it, "I'm good."

Loren gave her order before passing over her menu, and then returned her attention to Dale. "When's the last time you were in a restaurant?"

"Way back before-- this." Dale waved a hand over his face, "I think it was a pancake place. Can't imagine what made me want pancakes. Some people think we're repulsed by food, but I just have no reaction to it. Maybe that's why I see a different beauty in utensils"

"That's so sweet." Loren looked at the fork ring again.

"Later on, can I show me my other metal sculptures?" Dale asked, and then elaborated, "I use forks, spoons and butter knives to make birds and some other things."

His surprise offer made Loren's heart flutter, and she enthusiastically nodded. "That would be wonderful."


End file.
